McDonalds UK Brings In New Measures To Protect Staff After Rise In Sexual Abuse Complaints

McDonald’s is bringing in tougher measures to protect its UK staff from sexual harassment, following mounting pressure from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and new claims of abuse. The fast-food chain has agreed to extend and strengthen a legal agreement with the EHRC first signed in 2023, after hundreds of employees—some as young as 17—reported being “groped and harassed almost routinely.” The watchdog said it needed “stronger actions” from the company “in response to serious allegations raised.”

Baroness Kishwer Falkner, the EHRC’s chairwoman, said: “After serious allegations were raised, we decided we needed to update the action plan with stronger actions that were more specific to the way McDonald’s operates. We’re pleased with the significant steps McDonald’s has agreed to take towards a safer working environment for its staff and recognise the hard work they’ve done so far.”

The new plan includes new training for managers on grooming and social media, external audits of complaint handling, and a fresh safeguarding strategy designed with outside experts. Complaints involving managers will now be investigated independently, and franchisees are being urged to adopt the same standards.

The EHRC’s intervention follows more than 700 current and former McDonald’s workers aged 19 or under instructing law firm Leigh Day to take legal action, covering more than 450 UK restaurants. The cases describe a culture of “sexual assault, harassment, racism and bullying” that persisted despite McDonald’s earlier promises to clean up its workplace.

“I think we can assume that the equality watchdog wouldn’t be taking this action if things were ok at McDonald’s,” said Kiran Daurka, a lawyer at Leigh Day. She added that there should be “more interrogation” of how McDonald’s corporate structure interacts with its franchises, warning that harassment issues often “fall between the gaps.”

The original 2023 agreement had already committed McDonald’s to improving staff safety, but investigations by the BBC revealed that problems continued. Over 160 people have come forward to the broadcaster this year, while the EHRC has recorded 300 separate reports of harassment.

Workers described being touched by managers, sent explicit photos, or told to “suck it up” when they complained. One 21-year-old woman said customers sexually harassed her and management ignored it, while a 19-year-old from the Midlands said he quit after seeing colleagues “touched up” by senior staff.

Unions say these are not isolated cases. Ian Hodson, president of the Bakers Union, said there needs to be “real change” at McDonald’s, adding, “Workers should be entitled to go work without being sexually harassed, and employers should have a duty to act.”

McDonald’s insists it has already made “significant progress” and says the new EHRC agreement simply formalises what’s already underway. A company spokesperson said: “Over the last three years, alongside our franchisees, we have embedded an extensive set of robust and far-reaching initiatives, as part of our steadfast commitment to ensuring a safe working environment in McDonald’s restaurants.”

They added that this includes enhanced onboarding, manager training, and a digital “Speak Up” channel available 24/7. “We are confident the measures we have implemented are working and making a difference,” the company said.

The EHRC, however, will continue monitoring McDonald’s closely until at least 2026. Baroness Falkner said the new agreement is meant to ensure “zero tolerance for harassment at McDonald’s” and clear routes for staff to report misconduct.

Despite the promises, some former employees remain skeptical. One ex-worker who spoke to the BBC said: “They’ve looked at what they can possibly do, in terms of what will sound promising enough, but not actually what will bring change. It’s a check box for them to tick... but it just won’t happen.”

With hundreds of complaints still under review and lawsuits moving forward, McDonald’s faces a long road to proving that its culture has truly changed.